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HEREFORDSHIRE

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Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 358 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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HEREFORDSHIRE , an inland See also:

county of See also:England on the See also:south Welsh border, bounded N. by See also:Shropshire, E. by See also:Worcester-See also:shire, S. by See also:Monmouthshire and See also:Gloucestershire, and W. by See also:Radnorshire and Brecknockshire. The See also:area is 839.6 sq. m. The county is almost wholly drained by the Wye and its tributaries, but on the See also:north and See also:east includes a small portion of the See also:Severn See also:basin. The Wye enters Herefordshire from See also:Wales at See also:Hay, and with a sinuous and very beautiful course crosses the south-western See also:part of the county, leaving it See also:close above the See also:town off See also:Monmouth. Of its tributaries, the Lugg enters in the north-See also:west near See also:Presteign, and has a course generally easterly to See also:Leominster, where it turns south, receives the Arrow from the west, and joins the Wye 6 m. below See also:Hereford, the See also:Frome flowing in from the east immediately above the junction. The Monnow rising in the mountains of Brecknockshire forms the boundary between Herefordshire and Monmouthshire over one-See also:half of its course (about 20 m.), but it joins the See also:main See also:river at Monmouth. Its See also:principal tributary in Herefordshire is the See also:Dore, which traverses the picturesque See also:Golden Valley. The Wye is celebrated for its See also:salmon fishing, which is carefully preserved, while the Lugg, Arrow and Frome abound in See also:trout and See also:grayling, as does the Teme. This last is a tributary of the Severn, and only two See also:short reaches See also:lie within this county in the north, while it also forms parts of the See also:northern and eastern boundary. The Leddon, also flowing to the Severn, rises in the east of the county and leaves it in the south-east, passing the town of See also:Ledbury. High ground, of an See also:elevation from 500 to 800 ft., separates the various valleys, while on the eastern boundary rise the See also:Malvern Hills, reaching 1194 ft. in the Herefordshire See also:Beacon, and 1395 ft. in the See also:Worcestershire Beacon, and on the boundary with Brecknockshire the See also:Black Mountains exceed 2000 ft. The scenery of the Wye, with its wooded and often precipitous See also:banks, is famous, the most noteworthy point in this county being about Symond's Yat, on the Gloucestershire border below See also:Ross.

See also:

Geology.—The Archean or Pre-See also:Cambrian rocks, the most See also:ancient in the county, emerge from beneath the newer deposits in three small isolated areas. On the western border, Stanner See also:Rock, a picturesque craggy See also:hill near Kington, consists of igneous materials (granitoid rock, felstone, See also:dolerite and See also:gabbro), apparently of intrusive origin and possibly of Uriconian See also:age. In See also:Brampton See also:Bryan See also:Park, a few See also:miles to the north-east, some ancient conglomerates emerge and may be of Longmyndian age. On the east of the county the Herefordshire Beacon in the Malvern See also:chain consists of gneisses and See also:schists and Uriconian volcanic rocks; these have been thrust over various members of the Cambrian and See also:Silurian systems, and owing to their hard and durable nature they See also:form the highest ground in the county. The Cambrian rocks (Tremadoc Beds) come next in See also:order of age and consist of quartzites, sandstones and shales, well exposed at the See also:southern end of the Malvern chain and also at Pedwardine near Brampton Bryan. The Silurian rocks are well See also:developed in the north-west part of the county, between Presteign and See also:Ludlow; also along the western flanks of the Malvern Hills and in the eroded See also:dome of Woolhope. Smaller patches come to See also:light at Westhide east of Hereford and at May Hill near Newent. They consist of highly fossiliferous sandstones, mudstones, shales and limestones, known as the See also:Llandovery, See also:Wenlock and Ludlow See also:Series; the Woolhope, Wenlock and Aymestry Limestones are famed for their See also:rich fossil contents. The See also:remainder and by far the greater part of the county is occupied by the Old Red See also:Sandstone, through which the rocks above described project in detached areas. The Old Red Sandstone consists of a See also:great thickness of red sandstones and marls, with impersistent bands of impure concretionary See also:limestone known as cornstones, which by their See also:superior hardness give rise to scarps and rounded ridges; they have yielded remains of fishes and crustaceans. Some of the upper beds are conglomeratic. On its south-eastern margin the county just reaches the Carboniferous Limestone cliffs of the Wye Valley near Ross.

Glacial deposits, chiefly See also:

sand and See also:gravel, are found in the See also:lower ground along the river-courses, while caves in the Carboniferous Limestone have yielded remains of the See also:hyena, See also:cave-See also:lion, See also:rhinoceros, See also:mammoth and See also:reindeer. See also:Agriculture and See also:Industries.—The See also:soil is generally See also:marl and See also:clay, but in various parts contains calcareous See also:earth in mixed proportions. Westward the soil is tenacious and retentive of See also:water; on the east it is a stiff and often reddish clay. In the south is found a light sandy See also:loam. More than four-fifths of the See also:total area of the county is under cultivation and about two-thirds of this is in permanent pasture. Ash and See also:oak coppices and See also:larch plantations clothe its hillsides and crests. The rich red soil of the Old Red Sandstone formation is famous for its See also:pear and See also:apple orchards, the county, notwithstanding its much smaller area, ranking in this respect next to See also:Devonshire. The apple See also:crop, generally large, is enormous one See also:year out of four. Twenty hogsheads of See also:cider have been made from an See also:acre of See also:orchard, twelve being the See also:ordinary yield. Cider is the See also:staple beverage of the county, and the See also:trade in cider and See also:perry is large. Hops are another staple of the county, the vines of which are planted in rows on ploughed See also:land. As See also:early as See also:Camden's See also:day a Herefordshire adage coupled Weobley See also:ale with Leominster See also:bread, indicating the county's capacity to produce See also:fine See also:wheat and See also:barley, as well as hops.

Herefordshire is also famous as a breeding county for its See also:

cattle of See also:bright red See also:hue, with mottled or See also:white faces and sleek silky coats. The Herefords are stalwart and healthy, and, though not See also:good milkers, put on more See also:meat and See also:fat at an early age, in proportion to See also:food consumed, than almost any other variety. They produce the finest See also:beef, and are more cheaply fed than Devons or Durhams, with which they are advantageously crossed. As a See also:dairy county Herefordshire does not See also:rank high. Its small, white-faced, hornless, symmetrical breed of See also:sheep known as " the Ryelands," from the See also:district near Ross, where it was bred in most perfection, made the county See also:long famous both for the flavour of its meat and the See also:merino-like texture of its See also:wool. See also:Fuller says of this that it was best known as " Lempster ore," and the finest in all England. In its See also:original form the breed is See also:extinct, See also:crossing with the See also:Leicester having improved See also:size and stamina at the cost of the fleece, and the See also:chief breeds of sheep on Herefordshire farms at See also:present are Shropshire See also:Downs, Cotswolds and Radnors, with their crosses. Agricultural horses of good quality are bred in the north, and See also:saddle and See also:coach horses may be met with at the fairs. Breeders' names from the county are famous at the See also:national cattle shows, and the number, size and quality of the stock are seen in their See also:supply of the See also:metropolitan and other markets. See also:Prize Herefords are constantly exported to the colonies. Manufacturing enterprise is small. There are some See also:iron foundries and factories for agricultural implements, and some See also:paper is made.

There are considerable limestone quarries, as near Ledbury. Communications.—Hereford is an important railway centre. The Worcester and See also:

Cardiff See also:line of the Great Western railway, entering on the east, runs to Hereford by Ledbury and then southward. The See also:joint line of the Great Western and North-Western companies runs north from Hereford by Leominster, proceeding to See also:Shrewsbury and See also:Crewe. At Leominster a Great Western See also:branch crosses, connecting Worcester, Bromyard and New See also:Radnor. From Hereford a Great Western branch follows the Wye south to Ross, and thence to the See also:Forest of See also:Dean and to See also:Gloucester; a branch connects Ledbury with Gloucester, and the Golden Valley is traversed by a branch from Pontrilas on the Worcester-Cardiff line. From Hereford the Midland and See also:Neath and See also:Brecon line follows the Wye valley westward. None of the See also:rivers is commercially navigable and the canals are out of use. See also:Population and See also:Administration.—The area of the ancient county is 537,363 acres, with a population in 1891 of 115,949 and in 1901 of 114,380. The area of the administrative county is 538,921 acres. The county contains 12 hundreds. It is divided into two See also:parliamentary divisions, Leominster (N.) and Ross (S.), and it also includes the parliamentary See also:borough of Hereford, each returning one member.

There are two municipal boroughs—Hereford (pop. 21,382) and Leominster (5826). The other See also:

urban districts are Bromyard (1663), Kington (1944), Ledbury (3259) and Ross (3303). The county is in the See also:Oxford See also:circuit, and assizes are held at Hereford. It has one See also:court of See also:quarter sessions and is divided into 11 See also:petty sessional divisions. The boroughs of Hereford and Leominster have See also:separate commissions of the See also:peace, and the borough of Hereford has in addition a separate court of quarter sessions. There are a6o See also:civil parishes. The ancient county, which is almost entirely in the See also:diocese of Hereford, with small parts in those of Gloucester, Worcester and See also:Llandaff, contains 222 ecclesiastical parishes or districts, wholly or in part. See also:History.—At some See also:time in the 7th See also:century the West See also:Saxons pushed their way across the Severn and established themselves in the territory between Wales and See also:Mercia, with which See also:kingdom they soon became incorporated. The district which is now Herefordshire was occupied by a tribe the Hecanas, who congregated chiefly in the fertile area about Hereford and in the See also:mining districts See also:round Ross. In the 8th century See also:Offa extended the Mercian frontier to the Wye, securing it by the earthwdnk known as Offa's See also:dike, portions of which are visible at Knighton and Moorhampton in this county. In 915 the Danes made their way up the Severn to the district of Archenfield, where they took prisoner Cyfeiliawg See also:bishop of Llandaff, and in 921 they besieged Wigmore, which had been rebuilt in that year by See also:Edward.

From the time of its first See also:

settlement the district was the See also:scene of See also:constant border warfare with the Welsh, and Harold, whose earldom included this county, ordered that any Welshman caught trespassing over the border should lose his right See also:hand. In the See also:period preceding the See also:Conquest much disturbance was caused by the outrages of the See also:Norman See also:colony planted in this county by Edward the See also:Confessor. See also:Richard's See also:castle in the north of the county was the first Norman fortress erected on See also:English soil, and Wigmore, Ewyas Harold, See also:Clifford, Weobley, Hereford, Donnington and Caldecot were all the sites of Norman strong-holds. The conqueror entrusted the subjugation of Hereford-shire to See also:William FitzOsbern, but See also:Edric the See also:Wild in See also:conjunction with the Welsh prolonged resistance against him for two years. In the See also:wars of See also:Stephen's reign Hereford and Weobley castles were held against the See also:king, but were captured in 1138. Edward, afterwards Edward I., was imprisoned in Hereford Castle, and made his famous See also:escape thence in 1265. In 1326 the See also:parliament assembled at Hereford which deposed Edward II. In the 14th and 15th centuries the forest of Deerfold gave See also:refuge to some of the most noted followers of Wycliffe. During the Wars of the See also:Roses the See also:influence of the Mortimers led the county to support the Yorkist cause, and Edward, afterwards Edward IV., raised 23,000 men in this neighbourhood. The See also:battle of See also:Mortimer's See also:Cross was fought in 1461 near Wigmore. Before the outbreak of the civil See also:war of the 17th century, complaints of illegal See also:taxation were rife in Herefordshire, but a strong See also:anti-puritan feeling induced the county to favour the royalist cause. Hereford, See also:Goodrich and Ledbury all endured sieges.

The earldom of Hereford was granted by William I. to William FitzOsbern, about ro67, but on the See also:

outlawry of his son See also:Roger in 1074 the See also:title lapsed until conferred on See also:Henry de See also:Bohun about 1199. It remained in the See also:possession of the Bohuns until the See also:death of See also:Humphrey de Bohun in 1373; in 1397 Henry, See also:earl of See also:Derby, afterwards King Henry IV., who had married See also:Mary Bohun, was created See also:duke of Hereford. Edward VI. created See also:Walter Devereux, a descendant of the Bohun See also:family, See also:Viscount Hereford, in 1550, and his See also:grandson, the famous earl of See also:Essex, was See also:born in this county. Since this date the viscounty has been held by the Devereux family, and the holder ranks as the premier viscount of England. The families of Clifford, See also:Giffard and Mortimer figured prominently in the warfare on the Welsh border, and the Talbots, Lacys, Crofts and Scudamores also had important seats in the county, See also:Sir See also:James Scudamore of Holme See also:Lacy being the original of the Sir Scudamore of See also:Spenser's Faery See also:Queen. Sir See also:John See also:Oldcastle, the See also:leader of the See also:Lollards, was See also:sheriff of Herefordshire in 1406. Herefordshire probably originated as a shire in the time of rEthelstan, and is mentioned in the Saxon Chroncile in ro51. In the Domesday Survey parts of Monmouthshire and Radnor-shire are assessed under Herefordshire, and the western and southern See also:borders remained debatable ground until with the See also:incorporation of the Welsh See also:marches in 1535 considerable territory was restored to Herefordshire and formed into the hundreds of Wigmore, Ewyas Lacy and See also:Huntingdon, while Ewyas Harold was See also:united to Webtree. At the time of the Domesday Survey the divisions of the county were very unsettled. As many as nineteen hundreds are mentioned, but these were of varying extent, some containing only one See also:manor, some from twenty to See also:thirty. Of the twelve See also:modern hundreds, only Greytree, Radlow, Stretford, Wolphy and Wormelow retain Domesday names. Herefordshire has been included in the diocese of Hereford since its See also:foundation in 676.

In 1291 it comprised the deaneries of Hereford, See also:

Weston, Leominster, Weobley, Frome, Archenfield and Ross in the archdeaconry of Hereford, and the deaneries of See also:Burford, Stottesdon, Ludlow, Pontesbury, Clun and Wenlock, in the archdeaconry of Shropshire. In 1877 the name of the archdeaconry of Shropshire was changed to Ludlow, and in 1899 the deaneries of See also:Abbey Dore, Bromyard, Kingsland, Kington and Ledbury were created in the archdeaconry of Hereford. Herefordshire was governed by a sheriff as early as the feign of Edward the Confessor, the shire-court See also:meeting at Hereford where later the assizes and quarter sessions were also held. In 16o6 an See also:act was passed declaring Hereford See also:free from the See also:jurisdiction of the See also:council of Wales, but the county was not finally relieved from the interference of the Lords Marchers until the reign of William and Mary. Herefordshire has always been esteemed an exceptionally rich agricultural area, the manufactures being unimportant, with the See also:sole exception of the woollen and the See also:cloth trade which flourished soon after the Conquest. Iron was worked in Wormelow See also:hundred in See also:Roman times, and the Domesday Survey mentions iron workers in Marcie. At the time of Henry VIII. the towns had become much impoverished, and See also:Elizabeth in order to encourage See also:local industries, insisted on her subjects wearing English-made caps from the factory of Hereford. Hops were grown in the county soon after their introduction into England in 1524. In 1580 and again in 1637 the county was severely visited by the See also:plague, but in the 17th century it had a flourishing See also:timber trade and was noted for its orchards and cider. Herefordshire was first represented in parliament in 1295, when it returned two members, the boroughs of Ledbury, Here-See also:ford, Leominster and Weobley being also represented. Hereford was again represented in 1299, and Bromyard and Ross in 1304, but the boroughs made very irregular returns, and from 1306 until Weobley regained See also:representation in 1627, only Hereford and Leominster were represented. Under the act of 1832 the county returned three members and Weobley was disfranchised.

The act of 1868 deprived Leominster of one member, and under the act of 1885 Leominster was disfranchised, and Hereford lost one member. Antiquities.—There are remains of several of the strongholds which Herefordshire possessed as a See also:

march county, some of which were maintained and enlarged, after the settlement of the border, to serve in later wars. To the south of Ross are those of See also:Wilton and Goodrich, commanding the Wye on the right See also:bank, the latter a ruin of See also:peculiar magnificence, and both gaining picturesqueness from their beautiful situations. Of the several castles in the valleys of the boundary-river Monnow and its tributaries, those in this county include Pembridge, Kilpeck and Longtown; of which the last shows extensive remains of the strong keep and thick walls. In the north the finest example is Wigmore, consisting of a keep on an artificial See also:mound within See also:outer walls, the seat of the powerful family of Mortimer. Beside the See also:cathedral of Hereford, and the fine churches of Ledbury, Leominster and Ross, described under separate headings, the county contains some churches of almost unique See also:interest. In that of Kilpeck remarkable and unusual Norman See also:work is seen. It consists of the three divisions of See also:nave, See also:choir and See also:chancel, divided by ornate See also:arches, the chancel ending in an See also:apse, with a beautiful and elaborate west end and south See also:doorway. The columns of the choir See also:arch are composed of figures. A similar See also:plan is seen in Peterchurch in the Golden Valley, and in Moccas See also:church, on the Wye above Hereford. Among the large number of churches exhibiting Norman details that at Bromyard is noteworthy. At Abbey Dore, the Cistercian abbey church, still in use, is a large and beautiful specimen of Early English work, and there are slight remains of the monastic buildings.

At Madley, south of the Wye 5 M. W. of Hereford, is a fine Decorated church (with earlier portions), with the rare feature of a Decorated apsidal chancel over an octagonal See also:

crypt. Of the churches in mixed styles those in the larger towns are the most noteworthy, together with that of Weobley. The half-timbered See also:style of domestic See also:architecture, See also:common in the west and midlands of England in the 16th and 17th centuries, beautifies many of the towns and villages. Among See also:country houses, that of Treago, 9 m. W. of Ross, is a remarkable example of a fortified See also:mansion of the 13th century, in a See also:condition little altered. Rudhall and Sufton Court, between Ross and Hereford, are good specimens of 15th-century work, and portions of See also:Hampton Court, 8 m. N. of Hereford, are of the same period, built by Sir See also:Rowland See also:Lenthall, a favourite of Henry IV. Holme Lacy, 5 M. S.E. of Hereford, is a fine mansion of the latter part of the 17th century, with picturesque Dutch gardens, and much See also:wood-See also:carving by Griniing See also:Gibbons within. This was formerly the seat of the Scudamores, from whom it was inherited by the Stanhopes, earls of See also:Chesterfield, the 9th earl of See also:Chester-See also:field taking the name of Scudamore-See also:Stanhope. His son, tht+ loth earl, has recently (1909) sold Holme Lacy to Sir See also:Robert See also:Lucas-Tooth, See also:Bart.

Downton Castle possesses See also:

historical interest in having been designed in 1774, in a See also:strange mixture of See also:Gothic and See also:Greek styles, by Richard See also:Payne See also:Knight (1750-1824), a famous See also:scholar, numismatist and member of parliament for Leominster and Ludlow; while See also:Eaton See also:Hall, now a See also:farm, was the seat of the family of the famous geographer Richard See also:Hakluyt. See See also:Victoria County History, Herefordshire; J. Duncomb, Collections towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford (Hereford, 1804–1812) ; John See also:Allen, Bibliotheca Herefordiensis (Here-ford, 1821); John See also:Webb, Memorials of the Civil War between See also:Charles I. and the Parliament of England as it affected Herefordshire and the adjacent Counties (See also:London, 1879); R. See also:Cooke, Visitation of Hereford-shire, 7569 (See also:Exeter, 1886) ; F. T. See also:Havergal, Herefordshire Words and Phrases (See also:Walsall, 1887); J. See also:Hutchinson, Herefordshire See also:Biographies (Hereford, 189o).

End of Article: HEREFORDSHIRE

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